Local veterans, family and friends of veterans visit the Traveling Vietnam Wall replica memorial at Meadow Park in Big Bear Lake on Friday. The wall, presented by the American Veterans Traveling Tribute, is on display through Saturday.

BIG BEAR LAKE >> Hundreds of veterans, friends and family of veterans who have not visited the Vietnam Wall in Washington got an opportunity to pay their respects on Friday, in the wilderness of the San Bernardino Mountains.

The Traveling Vietnam Wall replica memorial, placed at Big Bear Lake’s Meadow Park, pays homage to American military personnel lost in the Vietnam War. Visitors shared memories and tears as they took moments to snap photographs and make rubbings over the 58,286 names of loved ones etched into the 300-foot memorial wall.

Known as the largest replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the traveling exhibition, presented by the American Veterans Traveling Tribute, was raised Thursday for a three-day continuous viewing memorial near the lake’s mountainous backdrop.

The massive Vietnam War dedication also paid tribute to those lost on 9/11, in World War II, the Korean War, the Fort Hood shooting and to law-enforcement agents and firefighters killed in the line of duty.

The memorial’s grand ceremony will be at 10 a.m. Saturday, the final viewing day at Meadow Park, 4122 Park Ave.

Keynote speaker will be Rep. Paul Cook, R-Apple Valley, himself a Vietnam veteran.

For more information about the Traveling Vietnam Wall memorial, visit avtt.org or call 909-866-4676.

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